Courtesy / Sheridan Construction
Daniel Wildes, president of Sheridan Construction
January 4, 2022
Fairfield-based Sheridan Construction has a new full owner, president
By Jessica Hall
Sheridan Construction Corp., based in Fairfield, said Tuesday that Daniel Wildes has become president and full owner of the company, following the retirement of former president Mitchell Sammons.
Wildes, who previously served as senior vice president, and Sammons became co-owners in 2017. Wildes assumed full ownership upon Sammons retirement.
Wildes, who has been managing construction operations since 1989, said the succession plan has been in the works for about two years to ensure a smooth transition.
“Sheridan is not going to change tremendously,” Wildes told Mainebiz. “As the world gets more technical, we need to change with that and we will.”
For Sheridan, which was founded in 1947, repeat clientele has been a strong suit, with 75% of its business coming from existing customers or referrals from existing customers.
“Our repeat clientele has been the mainstay of Sheridan. Our reputation isn’t built on what we’re going to do. It’s built on relationships and what we’ve proven,” Wildes said.
Juggling construction projects during the pandemic, coupled with supply-chain issues and a labor crunch, has its challenges. But Sheridan is starting to see some issues level out, with some supplies such as steel coming in six to eight months, rather than orders taking nine to 12 months just five months ago, Wildes said.
“The supply chain issue is something we’re seeing. Everybody is. It’s pushed out construction schedules,” Wildes said. “Steel prices are leveling off in the first quarter. They’re not quite as crazy as they were six months ago.”
“Clients are very understanding of the supply issues, but they’re still expecting us to manage them as much as possible."
Finding workers continues to be a challenge, prompting Sheridan to become more aggressive in attending job fairs and seeking employees through community colleges, trade schools and high school information sessions.
“It’s very challenging to find workers. The main difference now versus 10 years ago is that we have to go out and find the people. They’re not coming through the door on their own,” Wildes said.
Sheridan employs under 100 workers and handles overall project volume of about $50 million a year, Wildes said.
This week, Sheridan got approval from the state of Maine for an apprenticeship program.
“It’s exciting for our seasoned employees to share what they know,” Wildes said.
“We boast about being self-performing. We have our own field crew and our own equipment. When a lot of people seem to be really negative about labor and the availability of labor and the capability of labor, we are very proud that our crews are very versatile and can do anything,” Wildes said.
Sheridan’s projects range from a poured concrete structure in Fort Kent for Northern Maine Medical Center to several projects with the Waterville school system to building a new facility for repeat customer BDS Waste Disposal.
Wildes is a graduate of the Wentworth Institute of Technology where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in architectural engineering and construction management.
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